I finished the clutch job over the weekend. Drove it a bunch already. So far the UUC kit seems good. A solid 3 weeks since I failed to install the slave cylinder, and probably 5 weeks since I drove it. so now,
- new rear engine cover, rear main seal
- uuc lightweight flywheel
- uuc performance organic clutch
- new slave cylinder..
- new clutch fork, new clip, e38 stainless pivot pin, guide tube, throw out bearing
- replaced failed shift rod seal
- new shift rod brass bushing
- new transfer box mount bushing
- various part / chassis cleaning, rust proofing, etc. new bolts
- replace rusted transmission crossmember with nice clean rust free painted one
- new MTF, transfer case fluid
- bleed brakes, bleed clutch
- ISTA to clear adaptations and transfer box
There is some erratic chatter from the gearbox due to the flywheel, but it's not really too bad. You can only hear it from outside and underneath. Inside the cabin it's fine. It is loud in the garage.
The clutch is really nice. It's very grabby and right at the floor. No chatter. Slightly stiffer than stock, perfect. We'll see how it holds up.
The flywheel, the problem I am having, is that the tachometer on the cluster is really laggy. It's always been slow to start moving. I'm going to have to look into that. It revs really nice now but I can't see it on the tach, it's a weird effect.
This time, when I installed the slave cylinder, I opened the bleed screw. A few weeks ago I left it closed. I think that was the mistake I made. It went up much easier this time. And the fork, they definitely reused the clip, and it was not on well at all. I don't think you should ever try to reuse those clips.
I pressed the transfer mount bushing in with the cheap toolkit on Amazon. I didn't know that was a available, it was only $80, and it worked totally fine. Not $500. With the bushing in the freezer and some good lubricants I got half of it in by hand. The DIY tools above look good, but I figured for me to obtain materials for and make them was more than $80 worth of work.
To fill the transfer case and transmission, again, this time, instead of that stupid syringe tool, that takes forever and makes a huge mess, I bought two 1 gallon garden sprayers and PEX ball valves. Cut the output tubing short, put the barb for the valve in, and add tubing on the other end to go into the fill plug. Just pump it up and then open the valve. This works so well I highly recommend this. I didn't spill a drop and I didn't have to move. Home depot sprayer, 3/8 to 1/2 reducing barb fitting, 1/2 barb ball valve, 1/2 id 3/4 od tubing, hose clamps. All in the plumbing section.
I used the sachs high temp clutch grease on the clutch and shifter bits. On the transmission output splines, front prop shaft splines, and rear prop shaft centering sleeve, I cleaned everything and used the Weicon high temp anti-seize grease. Really nice stuff.
There was a lot of stuff wrong from whomever did the clutch and oil pan job in 2021. There was all kinds of metal clanging noise in the bellhousing when you pressed or let off the clutch, now it's quiet like my other cars. Just a bunch of little stuff that wasn't right, bolts that weren't tight, the center shaft bearing was nowhere near 90°, etc, etc.
I got the transmission up last Saturday. It was like going four rounds with Mike Tyson. Once I realized I should insert the lower bolts into the dowel pin hole, to help hold it straight rotation wise, and got the starter halfway in, it slid right up. I did clean and sand the rusty starter dowel, and used a file on the hole for it in the transmission so it would go in easy, which it did. I also deployed a couple small zip ties to keep that cover plate in place as it was moving.
The next day I put the transfer box up and some other little odds and ends. And then Monday and Tuesday I could barely move.
took me the rest of the week to get back to it.
There's still an occasional fuel trim code even after replacing the oxygen sensors, so there might be a little vacuum leak or a CCV issue somewhere.